MANILA – The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court denied Sen. Leila de Lima’s plea to be acquitted in one of her two remaining drug cases without presenting defense.
Judge Liezel Aquiatan of Branch 205 dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by the counsels of the senator and her aide, Ronnie Dayan due to lack of merit.
Two weeks ago, the court has dismissed the demurrer to evidence filed by de Lima’s camp in an omnibus order, which also denied the grant of bail.
“The court stands with its omnibus order that accused de Lima and Dayan must present their evidence to prove their innocence of the crime charged,” Aquiatan said on Friday.
As a result of the dismissal, the court moved to the presentation of evidence or witnesses by the accused. Dayan will present his defense first followed by the senator.
The judge also denied the senator’s accusation of “cherry picking” saying that the non-inclusion of certain portions of the prosecution’s testimony “does not preclude the court to include them in the ultimate decision after hearing the version of the defense.”
“It does not deprive accused de Lima the opportunity to exculpate herself if she can convincingly refute this court’s initial findings,” Aquiatan said.
In her appeal, the senator said she did not receive the P10 million proceeds of the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as secretary of the Department of Justice.
In his allegations, the former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos claimed that he, along with an aide, delivered the money to the senator’s house. Said money was intended for de Lima’s senatorial campaign./PN
